Wild rice and sausage-stuffed mini-pumpkins

Hearty, seasonal and definitely festive, this dish is what you want to serve for fall fun! Mini-pumpkins serve as the bowls in this recipe.

If you’re looking for a dish with fall appeal, this is it. Not only does this recipe for wild rice and sausage-stuffed mini-pumpkins taste great, it makes for a festive fall presentation. Serve this as part of a seasonal meal for a fun, autumnal treat.

Wild rice and sausage-stuffed mini-pumpkins recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 mini-pumpkins
• 8 ounces sausage, cooked
• 8 ounces cooked wild rice mixture
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup diced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Carefully slice the tops off the pumpkins, about 1/4 of the way down.
2. Clean out the pumpkin seeds (reserve them to bake as a snack for another time) and the stringy pulp from the inside of the pumpkins and from underneath the pumpkin tops. Sprinkle the insides with a pinch of salt and pepper, and set aside.
3. Cook the sausage over medium heat until browned, using a spoon to break it into crumbles as it cooks. Drain off any excess oil and set aside the sausage.
4. Cook the wild rice. Set aside.
5. While the rice cooks, heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
6. In a large bowl, add the rice, sausage, onion mixture, toasted pecans, cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
7. Fill each of the hollowed out pumpkins with the rice mixture, mounding it, but not packing it.
8. Place the filled pumpkins in a shallow baking dish and add water, about 1-inch high.
9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 25 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes. Carefully remove the pumpkins from the baking dish and serve hot on individual plates.

Pick this pumpkin dish for fall!

More seasonal recipes

Pumpkin-raisin bread with cream cheese frosting
Spicy sweet potato pumpkin bites
3 Festive milkshakes for the fall season